Meat consumption is not only associated with weight gain, but specifically abdominal obesity, which is the most metabolically concerning.
Cattlemen’s Association Has Beef with Study
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The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association was not happy about the findings of the EPIC study, one of the largest studies on human nutrition ever performed—which, as we’ve seen recently, found that those who eat any kind of meat go on to gain significantly more weight than those who eat less—even eating the same number of calories.
One of the beef association’s speakers wrote to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, complaining that “Meat intake’s influence on body fatness cannot be assessed without measurement of body fat.” Maybe, the cattlemen argued, the pounds that the meateaters packed on was muscle mass, not fat. Maybe they were becoming beefier, not fatter.
Fine, the researcher answered. We’ll not just measure obesity, but abdominal obesity—the worst kind. So, they took a small sample out of the study, a sample of 91,214 people, and found the exact same thing. Even eating the same number of calories, the more meat we eat, the more our belly grows. And even calculated how much our waistline could be predicted to expand, based on our daily meat consumption. So, one can plan ahead for the new pants one might need to buy.
Though nothing comes close to the EPIC study in scale, other recent studies have found the same thing. In Spain, nut and vegetable consumption was recently associated with having a slimmer waist, and meat and meat product consumption with a wider one. Another new study, this one out of Belgium, concluded that animal protein intake was associated with bigger body mass index and waistline, whereas plant protein intake was associated with a smaller BMI and slimmer waist—indicating that the intakes of plant protein could offer a potential protective effect against overweight and obesity.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Kerry Skinner.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Vergnaud AC, Norat T, Romaguera D, Mouw T, May AM, Travier N, Luan J, Wareham N, Slimani N, Rinaldi S, Couto E, Clavel-Chapelon F, Boutron-Ruault MC, Cottet V, Palli D, Agnoli C, Panico S, Tumino R, Vineis P, Agudo A, Rodriguez L, Sanchez MJ, Amiano P, Barricarte A, Huerta JM, Key TJ, Spencer EA, Bueno-de-Mesquita B, Büchner FL, Orfanos P, Naska A, Trichopoulou A, Rohrmann S, Hermann S, Boeing H, Buijsse B, Johansson I, Hellstrom V, Manjer J, Wirfält E, Jakobsen MU, Overvad K, Tjonneland A, Halkjaer J, Lund E, Braaten T, Engeset D, Odysseos A, Riboli E, Peeters PH. Meat consumption and prospective weight change in participants of the EPIC-PANACEA study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Aug;92(2):398-407.
- Astrup A, Clifton P, Layman DK, Mattes RD, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. Meat intake's influence on body fatness cannot be assessed without measurement of body fat. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Nov;92(5):1274-5; author reply 1275-6.
- Casas-Agustench P, Bulló M, Ros E, Basora J, Salas-Salvadó J; Nureta-PREDIMED investigators. Cross-sectional association of nut intake with adiposity in a Mediterranean population. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2011 Jul;21(7):518-25.
- Lin Y, Bolca S, Vandevijvere S, De Vriese S, Mouratidou T, De Neve M, Polet A, Van Oyen H, Van Camp J, De Backer G, De Henauw S, Huybrechts I. Plant and animal protein intake and its association with overweight and obesity among the Belgian population. Br J Nutr. 2011 Apr;105(7):1106-16.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association was not happy about the findings of the EPIC study, one of the largest studies on human nutrition ever performed—which, as we’ve seen recently, found that those who eat any kind of meat go on to gain significantly more weight than those who eat less—even eating the same number of calories.
One of the beef association’s speakers wrote to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, complaining that “Meat intake’s influence on body fatness cannot be assessed without measurement of body fat.” Maybe, the cattlemen argued, the pounds that the meateaters packed on was muscle mass, not fat. Maybe they were becoming beefier, not fatter.
Fine, the researcher answered. We’ll not just measure obesity, but abdominal obesity—the worst kind. So, they took a small sample out of the study, a sample of 91,214 people, and found the exact same thing. Even eating the same number of calories, the more meat we eat, the more our belly grows. And even calculated how much our waistline could be predicted to expand, based on our daily meat consumption. So, one can plan ahead for the new pants one might need to buy.
Though nothing comes close to the EPIC study in scale, other recent studies have found the same thing. In Spain, nut and vegetable consumption was recently associated with having a slimmer waist, and meat and meat product consumption with a wider one. Another new study, this one out of Belgium, concluded that animal protein intake was associated with bigger body mass index and waistline, whereas plant protein intake was associated with a smaller BMI and slimmer waist—indicating that the intakes of plant protein could offer a potential protective effect against overweight and obesity.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Kerry Skinner.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Vergnaud AC, Norat T, Romaguera D, Mouw T, May AM, Travier N, Luan J, Wareham N, Slimani N, Rinaldi S, Couto E, Clavel-Chapelon F, Boutron-Ruault MC, Cottet V, Palli D, Agnoli C, Panico S, Tumino R, Vineis P, Agudo A, Rodriguez L, Sanchez MJ, Amiano P, Barricarte A, Huerta JM, Key TJ, Spencer EA, Bueno-de-Mesquita B, Büchner FL, Orfanos P, Naska A, Trichopoulou A, Rohrmann S, Hermann S, Boeing H, Buijsse B, Johansson I, Hellstrom V, Manjer J, Wirfält E, Jakobsen MU, Overvad K, Tjonneland A, Halkjaer J, Lund E, Braaten T, Engeset D, Odysseos A, Riboli E, Peeters PH. Meat consumption and prospective weight change in participants of the EPIC-PANACEA study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Aug;92(2):398-407.
- Astrup A, Clifton P, Layman DK, Mattes RD, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. Meat intake's influence on body fatness cannot be assessed without measurement of body fat. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Nov;92(5):1274-5; author reply 1275-6.
- Casas-Agustench P, Bulló M, Ros E, Basora J, Salas-Salvadó J; Nureta-PREDIMED investigators. Cross-sectional association of nut intake with adiposity in a Mediterranean population. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2011 Jul;21(7):518-25.
- Lin Y, Bolca S, Vandevijvere S, De Vriese S, Mouratidou T, De Neve M, Polet A, Van Oyen H, Van Camp J, De Backer G, De Henauw S, Huybrechts I. Plant and animal protein intake and its association with overweight and obesity among the Belgian population. Br J Nutr. 2011 Apr;105(7):1106-16.
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Cattlemen’s Association Has Beef with Study
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Content URLDoctor's Note
The findings of the EPIC study linking meat consumption to weight gain can be found in Meat and Weight Gain in the PANACEA Study. The Cattlemen were also vocal in questioning the federal dietary guidelines; see Dietary Guidelines: Corporate Guidance. Tomorrow, we’ll cover the various ways excess body fat can be measured.
For more context, check out my associated blog posts Poultry Paunch: Meat & Weight Gain; Diet and Cellulite; and Is Coconut Oil Bad For You?
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